Swami Brahma Swarupananda
A REPUBLIC is 'a state in which the supreme power rests in the body of citizens entitled to vote and is exercised by representatives chosen directly or indirectly by them.' The significant concept to the word republic is that the leader of the country is not a hereditary monarch but an elected or installed president.
India's Republic Day is a national holiday that celebrates the implementation of its constitution on January 26, 1950. The governing principle of the Indian Constitution is 'of the people, for the people and by the people.' India is also the world's largest democracy with approximately 912 million people presently eligible to vote.
The Constitution of India
The Constitution of India (Bhāratīya Saṃvidhāna), drafted by Dr BR Ambedkar, is the longest written constitution of any country in the world. It is India's supreme law, defining a fundamental political code and structure, procedures, powers and duties of government institutions,as well as the fundamental rights and duties of citizens. It assures its citizens justice, equality and liberty, and promotes fraternity.
The original handwritten 1950 constitution is preserved in a helium-filled case at Parliament House in New Delhi. Each page was decorated by artists including Beohar Rammanohar Sinha and Nandalal Bose. Its calligrapher was Prem Behari Narain Raizada. The original also contains pictures of Sri Raam, Sri Krishna and Lord Buddha in its opening pages.
India's Growth
Economical giant:
According to the National Statistical Office, 90 million people in India were alleviated out of extreme poverty since 1990. India's nominal growth, which includes inflation, is projected to be at 15.4 per cent for 2022/23, due mainly to improved performances in the farming, mining and manufacturing sectors of the country. Since the beginning of the 21st century, annual average GDP growth has been six-seven per cent and from 2013 to 2018, India was the world's fastest growing major economy, surpassing even China.
Educational field:
Presently India has over 1,000 universities including 54 central universities, 416 state universities, 125 'deemed' universities, 361 private universities and 159 Institutes of National Importance: AIIMS, IIMs, IIITs, IISERs, IITs and NITs. The Indian schooling system, one of the largest in the world, caters to over 250 million students.
India participates in the worldwide information technology revolution by producing many well-educated computer science and other graduates. India's higher education system, with 770,000 students, is the third largest in the world, after China and the US.
Indian Armed Forces:
The Indian Armed Forces comprises three professional uniformed services: Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force. The President of India serves as the formal supreme commander of the Indian Armed Forces. Currently, active armed personnel are 1,455,550 and reserved personnel are 1,155,000. They all fall under the Ministry of Def
